Switch.



S. F. BRIGGS.

SWITCH.

APPucATloN FILED MAY11.1914.

1,232,659. Patented July 10, 1917 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 W/ Ulf/did j; PMI/ TA6? S. F. BRIGGS.

swlTcH. l APPLICATION FILED M( II. 1914.

l l 1,282,650, Patented July 10, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

. W/ TNAEJJ'EJ, I /A/l/'A( Tit?.

UNITED STATES PATENT GFFICE.

STEPHEN F. BRIGGS,4 OF IVIILWAUKEE, VISCONSIN, ASSGNOR TO BRIGGS & STRATTON lCOIVIIEANY, F MIL/VAUKEE, VSCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN'.`

SWITCH.

To all whom t may conce/m:

Be it known that T, STEPHEN F. Barcos, a

citizen of the United States, and resident of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Visconsin, have invented new and useful mproveinents in Switches, oit which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,- which are a part of this specification.

This invention has for its object, to provide a switch for controlling the circuit ot1 a dynamo electric machine, adapted tor use A as a generator for charging a storage bat- Vfing'so related that it is impossible to open the switch of such ignition controlling system while the circuit is closed through the motor generator.

Another object ot' the invention is to perfeet details of construction of a switch of this character.

Vith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of a switch as herein claimed and all equivalents. v Referring to the accompanying drawings in which like characters of reference indiY cate the same parts in different views:

Figure l is a front'view of a switch constructed in accordance with this invention;

Fig. i2 is a rear view thereof;4

Fig.v 3 is a sectional rear view on the plane of line 3 3 of Fig. 5;

Fig. i is a similar view on the plane ot ,line Jf-l of Fig. 5;

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view on the plane of line of'Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a similar view on a different plane showing the ignition switch in its closed position for short circuiting the make and break of the ignition circuit; Fig. 7 is a rear view of the front plate showing the lock for locking the switch in its various positions;

Fig. 8 is a front/view of the switch base showing the position, in dotted lines, of the Specification of Letters Patent. Patntd July 10 1917,

' Application filed May 11, 1914. Serial No. 837,669

switchcontacts in the starting position of the switch;

1g. S) is a diagramA of electrical circuits including the switch mechanism in the starting position;

Fig. 10 is an outline view of the switch lcontacts -in the intermediate or neutral position of the switch;

Fig. 11 is a similar view of the switch contacts in the ofi' position of the switch.

Tn these drawings, 10 indicates a front plate which is desigi'ied to be let into the dash of an automobile and form a cylindrical housing for the switch base 11 ot' insulating material which telescopes therewith from the rear and is held in place by means of counter-sunk screws 12, as seen in Fig. 6, such screws threading into bosses 13,

of the front plate, let into suitable openings in the base. The base 11, is hollow and a cylindrical switch member 1i, of insulating material, held by screws 15 to the back of a turning plate 16, is contained within the recess of the base and is rotatable through an arc of approximately 900, said turning plate 1G having a suitable guide seat' onthe front plate 10 to permit of suchv movement and carrying a projecting handle 17, by means of which the turning may be accomplished. A stop lug 18 on the back of the turning plate 16 engages shoulders ot' the front plate 10 to limit the turning movement thereof. A lock 1f) may be interposed p between the turning plate 16 and the switch member l-.t to engage a notch 20 in the front plate 10 for locking the switch mechanism in its ott position, the swiveled boss 21 oi' such lockbearing the key hole projecting through the front plate 10 as shown in F ig. 1 to receive the key not shown. A metal disk 21 mav be placed between the switch member 1l and the lock 19 to prevent the armature and series field winding of the' motor generator. Another stud 26 similar to the studs 22 and y23, though desir-ably` somewhat smaller, is positioned intermediate of' the other studs and the nuts and washers thereon form a binding post for connection with the shunt field winding o the motor generator.

In order that the studs 22 and 23 and 26 may be held in place flush with 'the inner wall of the base and prevented from turning with the tightening of the nuts,thereon they are slotted across their ends with slots that extend into the base and metal key strips V27' are fitted into the Aslots as seen in Figs. 5 and 8.

A metal tube 28 passes diametrically through the insulating switch member ll and forms a sleeve for carrying a pair of spring pressed switch contact members 29 which are in the form of plugs slidably mounted in the sleeve and are electrically 'connected by a flexible conductor 30, commonly known as a pig' tail. The contact members 29 are firmly secured to the ends of the flexible conductor 30 by having openings drilled longitudinally thereof into which the ends of the conductor are inserted and bv having transverse openings drilled nearly to the llongitudinal openings leaving a thin partition of metal between the. openings which is then struck with a punch at the edge thereof near the outer end of the contact member so as to drive the partition inwardly as a tongue 3l to bite into the yielding flexible conductor. This means of connecting the contact members on the ends of the fiexible conductor, forms a strong mechanical connection firmly connecting the parts and assuring an electrical connection of low resistance between them. The flexible conductor is surrounded by a coil spring 32 bearing at its ends 'against the contact members 29 and forcing them apart in close contact with the inner walls of the base and particularly with the stationary contacts and 23 to form an electrical colmectionbetween them in the starting position of the switch. In 'orderA that the contact members 29 may not fit ,too freely within the sleeve 28, the coiljspring 32 is preferably bent or bowed at its fmiddle portion so as to bear against the walls of the sleeve. Y

A sleeve or thimble 33 fits in an opening of theswit'ch member 14 at an angle to the sleeve 28 and in contact therewith, the'two being preferably soldered together after assembling by pouring the solder through an opening in the switch member 1l where 1t will unite with both. ll'ithin the sleeve 33 is slidably fitted a cup shaped contact member 34 containing a coil spring 35 having its end convolutions connected by a flexible .conductor 36 which is thus held in contact with the end of the v'sleeve 33 and thegend 'is secured a spring contact 37 with a pair of' oppositely extending spring arms bent to a bow shape and convexed at their ends to bear upon the bottom of the base 11 which is provided with a series of sockets or depressions 38 into which these rounded convex portions of the contact arms tit to releasably hold the switch member in its various positions. Two of the sockets which are diametrically opposite each other, are formed in the ends of metal contact plugs 39 fitting in vopenings in the bottom of the base member 11 and having binding posts 40 :for connection with the-members of the make and break mechanism, -to be later referred to, so that the spring contact arms short'circuit the make andbreak when the switch is turned to the off position.

The three positions of the switch are marked' on the front plate 10 as Offif Neutral land Start and a finger il on the edge of the turning plate 16 points to one of these designations in each of the three positions of the switch, the off position being the position in which the spring arms 37 connect with the Contact plugs 39 for short circuiting the make and break as shown in outline in Fig. -11, the neutraly position being the position. in which this connection is broken and the contact niembers`29 and 3l are still' out of engagement with their stationary contacts as shown in lFig. 10, and the start position being the 29, contact 22, wire 48, armature 42, wire 4f? back to battery. Also the circuit established through the shunt field winding of the motor generator is the same to the switch contacts 29 and thence through switch contact 34, contact 26, wire 50, shunt field windi.

ing 43, wire 49, Aback to battery. In this diagram an ignition circuit is also indicated, a-.high tension magneto having been chosen for the purpose though obviqusly a low tension magnetp ignition system or a battery ignition system may be substituted. A

make and break is represented by a swinging contact 51 anda stationary contact 52 operated by a cam 53 asusual, while the arma-ture 54 ot the magneto is represented by dotted lines with its primary winding 55 and its secondary winding 5G grounded at one end by connectionv therewith. The. primary circuit of the magneto, starting from the grounded primary winding continues through wire 57 to contact 5l and from con tact 52 engaged thereby through wire 5S to ground, while the secondary circuit starting from the grounded secondary winding 5G ot' the magneto armature, continues through wire 59 to the rotating arm 60 and a distributer and thence through one ot' the contacts 6l of the distribute'r and wire (32 to one of the spark plugs 63 of the gas engine. A wire 64 connects one of the contacts 39 of the switch with. the contact arm 5l of the make and break, while the wire 65 connects the other Contact 39 of the switch either with wire 58 leading to the contact 52 of the make and break or to the ground.

In the starting position of the switch as shown in Fig. 9, the motor Agenerator is in connection with the storage battery 45 and may either operate as a compound wound mot-or for starting the gas engine or as a compound wound generator driven by the gas engine for charging the storage battery or for supplying current to the series of lamps 66 connected by wires 67 and 68 across the terminals of the battery. In the intermediate or neutral position of the switch as shown in F ig. 10, the battery lconnections with the .motor generator are interrupted,

though the switch arms 37 do not connect.

with the contacts 39 to interfere with the ignition, while in the off position of the l switch as shown in Fig. 11, the battery connections with the motor generator are still open but the lswitch arms 37 by connecting with the contacts 39, forms a` short circuit for the make and break and consequently prevents ignition which is diie to the opening of the primary circuit of the magneto armature causing an induced current to flow through the secondary circuit including the spark gap ottone. oif the spark plugs 6?). I n the last mentioned position of the switch it may bev locked to prevent the car being started by an .unauthorized person.

Bv means of this switch there isno possibilitvy of the ignition controlling circuit and the motor generator circuit being closed at the same time to waste the battery current in turning the crank shaft without ignition and consequentlyit is impossible to open the ignition controlling circuit at a time when the Iiiotor generator circuit is closed which condition might occasion a back firing of the gas engine by premature ignition. Furthermore, the switch by having its three operative positions determined bythe spring contacts 37 fitting in the sockets in the bottom of the switch base may not be left in a false position in which the shunt field winding of the motor generator may remain inconnection with the battery with a conselVhile the switch is shown and describedy as designed for having three positions, it is obvious that two operativepositions only may be provided., the start position and the otf 7 position, though the three position construction is preferable. Also it is understood that the engagement of the switch arms 37 with the contact 39 While shown to be established in the olf position of the y switch in order to short circuit the make and break of the magneto ignition system may be established in the starting posi of the switch for closing the primary circ y of the ignition system when a battery ignition system is employed, it being only necessary to rearrange the switch contact` arms 37 on the switch member 'ist for this purpose.

Obviously the switch member may be of metal properly insulated, and thus obviate the necessity for the metal sleeves 28 and 33.

'Vhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A switch, ,comprising a cylindrical base of insulating material, a switch member mounted to turn within the base and have a transverse opening therethrough, contact members slidably mounted at the ends of the transverse opening through the switch member, a coil spring confined within said opening and bearing at its ends against the contact members to hold them against the walls of the base, a flexible conductor passing through the spring and permanently connected with the contact members to form an electrical connection between them, and contacts in the wall of the base engaged by the contact members.

2. A switch, comprising `a cylindrical base, aswitch member mounted `to turn therein and provided with a transverse opening, contact members slidably mounted 'in the ends ot' the transverse opening of the switchv member, a coil spring confined within'the 4said opening and bearing, against the contact members to hold them against the walls ot' the base, said contact members having openings extending lengthwise thereof and contact members, and contacts in the walls of the base engaged by the contact members.

3. A switclncomprising a cup shaped base member of insulating material having a series of recesses or depressions within the bottom thereof, a switch member mounted to turn in the base member, contact members carried by the switch member, contacts in the walls of the base engaged by the Contact members, and spring arms on the end of the switch member having eon-. Vex ends to engage the recesses 1n the botspring contact arms on the end of the switch member bearing agamst the bottom of the base, and contact studs in the bottom of the base engaged by the spring contact arms, there being recesses inthe contact studs and the bottom of the base and said contact arms having convex ends to engage saidrecesses for holding the switch member yieldingly in its various operative positions.

5. A switch, comprising a cup shaped base of insulatingA material. a switch member mounted to turn therein, contact members carried by the switch member, shouldered Contact studs lit-ting in openings through the inner wall of the base and cut away to conform with the inner wall of the base, said studs having' slots extending therethrough at their cut away ends which slots continue into the base,"and key -strips fitting in said slots to hold the studs in proper relation to the inner wall ,of thebase to constitute contacts engaged by the contact members of the switch member.

G. A switch, comprising a` cup shaped base of insulating material, a switch member mounted to turn therein, contact members carried by the switch member, shouldered contact studs fitting in openings through the inner wall of the base and cut away to conform with the inner wallv of the base, said studs having slots extending therethrough at their cut away ends which slots continue into the base, and key strips fitting in said slots to hold the studs in proper relation to the inner wall of the baseto constitute contacts engaged by the contact members of the switch member, said studs extending through the bottom of the base, and nuts threaded thereon to form binding posts.

7. A switch, comprising a cup shaped bas of insulating material, a front plate secured thereto, a turning plate, mounted in the front plate, a lock on the turning plate for engaging the front plate, a switchy member carried by the turning plate, contact mem bers carried by the switch member, contacts in the inner wall of the base engaged by the l contact members, spring contact arms on the end of the swltch'member engaging the bottom of the base and contacts in the bottom of the base engaged by the spring con-I tion between them, a. iexible conductor havp ing its end inserted in the first mentioned opening of the contact member and having the thin partition between the openings bent down as atongue engaging therein.

9. A switch, comprising a cup shaped base having a series of recesses or depressions within the bottom thereof, a switch member mounted to turn in the base, contact members carried by the switch member, contacts in the walls of the base engaged by the Contact members, spring contacts on the end of the switch member bearing against the bottom of the base in said recesses, and contacts in the bottom of the base engaged by the spring contacts.

10. A switch, comprising a cup shaped base, a. switch member mounted to turn therein, contact members carried on the sides of' the switch member, contacts in the side walls of the base engaged by the contact members, contacts on the end of the switch member bearing'against the end of the base, and contacts in the end of the base engaged by the contacts on the end of the switch member, said end contacts Fitting one within another, and spring means for holding them yieldingl'y their interfitting relation,

In testimony whereof, I aiix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

STEPHEN F'. BRIGGS'., f lVitnesses KATHERINE HoL'r, R. S. C; CALDWELL. 

